On 9 August, South Africa celebrates Women’s Day and the Cape Leopard Trust’s (CLT) ‘Girls in Conservation’ programme sought to involve young girls from rural communities in experiencing the natural environment. The initiative also introduced them to the possibility of a career in conservation.
Sixteen female learners from four schools in Grabouw and Villiersdorp were admitted to the 2022 programme via an application process.
In January 2022, the group attended a 5-day camp near Franschhoek, where each day was dedicated to a different field in the green economy – including wildlife monitoring, husbandry and rehabilitation, entomology, taxonomy, marine biology and sustainable food production.
On completion of all the assignments from the camp, which involved workshops for their classmates and implementing outreaches in their communities, an informal award ceremony was held to celebrate these young “Eco Ambassadors” after successfully completing the Girls in Conservation programme.
The CLT Education team say they are excited about these girls’ futures and to see how they will contribute to the conservation of nature and biodiversity in their own unique ways.
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